Britain's Got Talent hopeful Ed Drewett has said he sees no reason why he shouldn't have a shot at stardom just because he has been successful in the past.

The singer-songwriter has penned hits for other acts, including One Direction's Best Song Ever and The Wanted's All Time Low, but has hit back at criticism from viewers of the ITV talent show that he had already had his chance at success.

Ed, 25, has been signed and dropped from labels twice in the past and impressed the judges with Blink, a song he'd written himself, at his audition.

He said: "I still haven't yet had my song in the charts, I haven't had my voice singing my songs and that's what I have to do."

Of hearing others singing his hits, he continued: "It's fantastic, it really is, it's a little moment. You know, you're driving along and you hear the song that you wrote on the radio and you pat yourself on the back, and it's a nice little moment.

"But equally, as incredible as that is, and I'm massively grateful for the position I'm in, it doesn't mean that I have to stop going for what I wanted to do and that is to do it in my own right, so I will carry on. I'm stubborn."

Ed addressed the criticism of him entering the show, saying: "I think it's hilarious that I'm expected to just not carry on going for my dream. Of course song writing for other people is incredible, but does that mean that I should just not try to be a singer?

"Ok, I'll just pack up, I'm off, I give up. No way."

Ed, who admitted his voice at the audition had been "iffy" because of nerves, said that the reaction from judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams (Simon Cowell was at the birth of his baby that day) and the crowd meant a lot.

He explained: "If you saw the look on my face when I could see that it had gone down well, that says it all. For people that know me, it's been a lot of years of hurt, to be honest.

"That's not a sob story at all, that's fact. Being dropped twice does things to you and it hurts, especially when you believe your songs are good enough.